Printing-press mechanism.



PATENTED JUNE 18. 1907.

Nob 857,508.

B. B. WOODWARD. PRINTING PRESS MECHANISM.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG.6. 1906.

ETERS CG, WASHINGTON, D. C,

1? NORRIS F EDGAR B. WOODWARD, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

PRINTING-PRESS MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 18, 1907.

Application filed August 6,1906- Serial No. 329,414-

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDGAR B. WOODWARD,

a citizen of the United States, residing at St.

Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Printing-Press Mechanism, set forth and described in the following specification.

This invention relates to an improved printing press mechanism whereby the ink ing rollers are kept cool and freefrom undesirable matter; and it consists in directing a stream of air against, or adjacent to, the printing rollers by use of an air duct leading from a blower or like instrument whereby a current or stream of air may be directed along the surface of the rollers and into a field that will not interfere with the sheet while being printed or delivered. The air driving instrument is preferably controlled or operated by the printing press or by the mechanism driving the press, so that simultaneous operation is the obvious and necessary result.

It is well known to those familiar with the art of printing that, in warm moist weather, the composition rollers frequently run down and become useless and also that the handling of the paper develops afuzz which collects on the rollers and interferes with the printing. To a limited extent I have overcome these difficulties by use of an ordinary disk fan arranged to drive a blast-of air over the rollers, but the fan is in the way of the press feeders and operators, and throws a widely diffused blast of air which frequently disturbs the sheet while being printed or delivered. By experience I have found that a stream of air driven across the press between the form rollers during their operation prevents the gathering of fuzz on the rollers and cools them without interfering with the paper. This results in preservation of the rollers until they become useless from natural use.

The foregoing explanation of the mechanism comprising my invention discloses the general object thereof, but other objects and advantages will appear from the following description, reference being made to the accomp anying drawing in which- Figure 1 illustrates conventionally the embodiment of my invention in a printing press, and Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

In the form of press in combination with which I have conventionally illustrated my invention the sheets of paper are fed from a platform 1 around the roll 2 which is rotated in the direction of the arrow. By the preliminary handling and feeding of the paper to thisroll a fuzz is developed which becomes detached and finally gathers on the form rollers 3 and'on the printing form which reciprocates thereunder. These form rollers while in use are kept in continuous rotation and should be free from such substances, and the fuzz gathering thereon interferes with their intended operation. Moreover, the rollers 3 are what is known as composition rollers and in use they frequently run down, that is to say their integrity or solidity is destroyed or lost, and they become soft and useless. This occurs most frequently in warm moist weather though it also happens under other conditions. My invention is intended to prevent the gathering of the fuzz on these rollers or other parts of the press and to keep the atmosphere around such parts cool and pure thereby obviating all the difiiculties named.

The sheets of paper after passing around the roll 2 are received by the parts 4 acting above the rollers 3 and are delivered thereby onto a' conveniently arranged platform (not shown). The entire mechanism is operated by a main shaft 5 which may be driven by any suitable motive power. The operating mechanism and other parts of the press do not relate to my invention and are, therefore, not shown.

The blower 6 is located in convenient relation to the shaft 5 and is operated therefrom by a suitable driving connection such as a belt 7. The blower may be of any of the available types and its construction is imma terial. A pipe or air duct 8 leads from the blower at the side of the press and has its upper or open end curved, as indicated at 9, so that a blast of air therefrom will be directed across the press in this instance between and against the peripheries of the two banks of rollers 3. The stream of air delivered in this manner spreads slowly as it travels (constructively illustrated in Fig. 2) thus bringing fresh air into contact with all parts of the rollers and all parts of the printing form which travels back and forth under the rollers while the press is in operation. The discharge end of the duct 8 is preferably provided with a choke piece 10 whereby the stream of air is kept from spreading too rapidly, as too rapid spreading would interfere with the sheets being delivered from the press. A rigid support 11 may be utilized to sustain the duct 8 in its required adjustment. It is obvious that more than one stream may be directed across a press if found desirable.

While the drawing illustrates my invention combined, in conventional manner, with one form or species of press, yet those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains will readily comprehend that it may be com bined with other forms or species. Moreover, it is obvious that there may be variations in the construction and arrangement of the parts described and in the operation thereof, or in the number of streams of air utilized, without in the least departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. I do not, therefore, restrict myself to exact or inessential details or forms, but

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is In combination with a printing press embodying an impression cylinder and form rollers located proximate thereto, of means for directing a current of air across the machine just above and longitudinally of the form rollers, means for so controlling the current of air that the same will not interfere with the passage of paper over the impression cylinder, and operative connections between the air current generating means and the press mechanism whereby the former is automatically operated during the operation of the printing press.

In testimony whereof I hereto ai'lix my signature to this specification this 31st day of July, 1906, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDGAR B. VVOODWVARD.

WVitnesses:

JULIAN H. RIVERs, JOHN D. RIPPEY. 

